Handbrake controls for road vehicles

ABSTRACT

In a vehicle handbrake control, the operating button of the handbrake carries a bulb which is exposed through a lens positioned in the button. One electrical connection to the bulb is made by a conductive rod which is connected to the handbrake release mechanism and is movable by the button to operate the handbrake release mechanism. Another electrical connection to the bulb is made by way of a hollow conductive member within which the conductive rod is mounted so that an electrical circuit through the bulb can be made to energize the bulb. The circuit also includes a switch so that the circuit can only be completed when the handbrake is operative.

O United States Patent m1 m1 3,731,272

Cryer 1 May 1, 1973 541 HANDBRAKE CONTROLS FOR ROAD 3,508,625 4 1910Hawkins ..350/69 x VEHICLES FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [75]Inventor: Edward Cryer, I-Iigham, near Burnley England 482,944 4/1938Great Britain ..340/146 859,611 l/1961 Great Britain ..74l538 [73]Assignee: Joseph Lucas (Industries) Limited,

Birmingham, England Primary ExaminerJohn W. Caldwell AssistantExaminer-Kenneth N. Leimer [22] Filed. Mar. 29, 1971 Anamey nolman &Stem [21] App]. No.: 128,864

[57] ABSTRACT In a vehicle handbrake control, the operating button ofthe handbrake carries a bulb which is exposed through a lens positionedin the button. One electrical connection to the bulb is made by aconductive rod which is connected to the handbrake release mechanism andis movable by the button to operate the handbrake release mechanism.Another electrical connection to the bulb is made by way of a hollowconductive member within which the conductive rod is mounted so that anelectrical circuit through the bulb can be made to energize the bulb.The circuit also includes a switch so that the circuit can only becompleted when the handbrake is operative.

4 vClaims, 3 Drawing Figures Patented May 1, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w w ME T W N w w w L m m Patented May 1, 1973 3,731,272

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR cnuomd CHM MGM.)

ATTQRNEYS HANDBRAKE CONTROLS FOR ROAD VEHICLES This invention relates tohandbrake controls for road vehicles.

A handbrake control according to the invention includes a hollowconductive member, a conductive rod mounted for axial movement withinsaid member, said rod being insulated from said member and beingarranged to be coupled to a handbrake release mechanism, a buttonmounted for axial movement in said member, said button being accessiblefrom one end of the member and engaged with said rod so that axialmovement of the button is transmitted to the rod to move the rod,resilient means urging the rod and the button to an axial positionwherein, in use, the release mechanism is inoperative, a lens positionedin the exposedend of the button and a bulbholder capable of supporting abulb within the button, one electrical connection to the bulb being madein use by way of the rod and a second electrical connection to the bulbbeing made by way of said member, light from the bulb in use issuingfrom the button through said lens.

Preferably said bulbholder is defined in part by said button.

Conveniently said rod is provided with an insulating cover.

Desirably the button is formed in insulating material and said lens isintegral therewith.

In the accompanying drawings,

FIG. 1 is a side view of a handbrake according toone example of theinvention with part of the casing removed for clarity,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of part of FIG. 1 to an enlarged scale, and

FIG. 3 is a plan view ofa further part of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the handbrake control includes a tubular,conductive member 11 within which is mounted a conductive rod 12, therod 12 being capable of axial movement relative to member 11 and beingconnected at one end 13 to a ratchet release mechanism 14 of thehandbrake. The end portion of the member 11 remote from the end 13 ofthe rod 12 is enclosed in a p.v.c. sheath 15 which can be shaped todefine a handgrip.

An insulating button 16 is mounted in the end of the member 11 remotefrom the end 13 of the rod 12 and projects therefrom. The button 16 iscapable of axial movement relative to the member 11 and its endextending into the member 11 abuts against an annular brass collar 17. Ahelical compression spring 18 is mounted in the member 11 and abuts atits ends against the member 11 and the collar 17 respectively, thespring 18 urging the button 16 to an inoperative position wherein oneend of the button projects from the member 11. The end of the rod 112remote from the end 13 is mounted in an insulating member 19 which issecured to the collar 17 so that, the collar 17 is trapped between themember 19 and the button 16. Thus the rod 12 is coupled to the button 16for axial movement relative to the member 11 so that when the button 16is pressed into the member 11 the rod 12 is moved relative to the member11 to operate the ratchet release mechanism of the handbrake, theresilience of the spring 18 urging the button 16 and the rod 12 back tothe inoperative position when the button is released.

The insulating button 16 is in the form of a hollow body open at one endthereof, the button 16 and the collar 17 together with the member 19defining a bulbholder. Positioned within the bulbholder is a bulb 21with the conductive lug 22 of the bulb 21 adjacent the open end of thebutton. Further the end of the rod 12 carried by the member 19 projectsfrom the member 19 towards the open end of the button 16 and a spring 23urges the bulb 21 towards the rod 12 so that the conductive lug 22engages the rod 12. The collar 17 is formed with an integral flange 24which extends round the periphery of the hole in the collar 17 and thearrangement is such that when the lug 22 is resiliently urged intoengagement with the rod 12 the conductive body 25 of the bulb 22 engagesthe flange 24, the member 19 preventing shorting between the lug 22 andthe body 25 by way of the rod 12.

The button 16 is formed from a translucent synthetic resin material andat its end adjacent the filament of the bulb 21 defines a lens 26 sothat light emitted from the bulb issues from the lens 26. The electricalcontacts of the bulb 21 are the lug 22 which defines the live terminalof the bulb, and the conductive body 25 which defines the earth contact.The body 25 is resiliently urged by the spring 23 into engagement withthe conductive plate 17 which is in turn connected to the member 11 bythe spring 18. Since the member 11 is, in use, secured to the body of aroad vehicle the earth connection to the bulb 21 is made through themember 11 by way of the spring 18 and the collar 17. Further at the end13 of the rod 12 where the rod is connected to the ratchet releasemechanism 14 an insulating bush 27 is inserted between the rod 12 andthe mechanism 14 so that the rod 12 is insulated from the mechanism 14which is of course connected to earth. An electrical lead 28 is securedto the end 13 of the rod to provide a connection to the live terminal ofthe bulb 21 constituted by the lug 22 by way of the rod 12. Also inorder to ensure that the rod 12 is insulated from the casing 11 the rod12 is preferably surrounded by an insulating cover 29. In use, the lead28 is connected to the battery of a road vehicle by way of the ignitionswitch of the vehicle and a switch operable by the handbrake so that,assuming that the driver of the vehicle closes the ignition switchwithout releasing the handbrake the bulb 21 will be energized and thelens 26 will be illuminated to provide warning of the nonrelease of thehandbrake.

If required, a flasher unit can be incorporated in the circuit includingthe bulb 21 so that when the ignition switch of the vehicle is closedwithout the handbrake being released the warning is provided by the bulb21 flashing rather than giving a continuous signal.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A vehicle handbrake control including a hollow conductive member, aconductive rod mounted for axial movement within said member, said rodbeing insulated from said member, a handbrake release mechanism, meanscoupling the rod to the handbrake release mechanism so that axialmovement of the rod operates the release mechanism to release thehandbrake, a button mounted for axial movement in said move the rod,resilient means urging the rod and the said electrical circuit andoperable so that the circuit can only be completed when the handbrake isoperative.

2. A control as claimed in claim 1 in which the bulbholder is defined inpart by said button.

3. A control as claimed in claim 1 in which said rod is provided with aninsulating cover.

4. A control as claimed in claim 1 in which the button is formed ininsulating material and said lens is integral therewith.

1. A vehicle handbrake control including a hollow conductive member, aconductive rod mounted for axial movement within said member, said rodbeing insulated from said member, a handbrake release mechanism, meanscoupling the rod to the handbrake release mechanism so that axialmovement of the rod operates the release mechanism to release thehandbrake, a button mounted for axial movement in said member, saidbutton being accessible from one end of the member and engaged with saidrod so that axial movement of the button is transmitted to the rod tomove the rod, resilient means urging the rod and the button to an axialposition wherein, in use, the release mechanism is inoperative, a lenspositioned in the exposed end of the button, a bulb holder supporting Abulb within the button, an electrical circuit including said bulb, oneelectrical connection to the bulb being made by way of the rod and asecond electrical connection to the bulb being made by way of saidmember so that completion of said electrical circuit energizes the bulbto cause light from the bulb to issue from the button through said lens,and switch means connected in said electrical circuit and operable sothat the circuit can only be completed when the handbrake is operative.2. A control as claimed in claim 1 in which the bulbholder is defined inpart by said button.
 3. A control as claimed in claim 1 in which saidrod is provided with an insulating cover.
 4. A control as claimed inclaim 1 in which the button is formed in insulating material and saidlens is integral therewith.